Horticulturist (NCWI)

The Horticulturist (Farm Program Coordinator, NCWI) at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System manages the Veterans Farm Program, leading therapeutic horticulture and urban agriculture activities for homeless and food-insecure Veterans. This role oversees daily farm operations, coordinates volunteers and community partnerships, and develops programs that support Veterans' physical, emotional, and social well-being while producing fresh food to address food insecurity.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/31/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. This position has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that can't be waived. To qualify for the GS-0437 occupational series, applicants MUST possess the following: Degree: horticulture; or a related discipline of basic plant science that included at least 30 semester hours in the basic plant sciences, of which at least 16 semester hours were in horticultural subjects such as those dealing with the breeding, care, management, production, and post harvest handling of horticultural crops. OR Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in horticulture or a related discipline of basic plant science that included course work as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. Evaluation of Education: Courses in botany, plant physiology, plant taxonomy, plant pathology, genetics, agronomy, horticulture, and similar courses may be used to meet the 30-semester-hour requirement in basic plant sciences. The 16-semester-hour requirement in horticulture includes course work in basic horticulture and course work related to any of the recognized subject-matter fields of horticulture, i.e., fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, nursery work, seed production, or course work in related areas of science, such as micro-biology, entomology, plant pathology, plant physiology, or genetics that is directly related to horticultural work Grade Determination. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Develop annual plans and set production and therapeutic goals. Oversee daily farm operations, including greenhouses and orchards. Track program data and prepare reports. Supervise and coordinate trainees, volunteers, and staff. Lead volunteer events and community engagement. Build and maintain community partnerships. Ensure compliance with VA policies and safety standards. Design and lead therapeutic gardening and farming activities for Veterans. Adapt activities to meet individual needs and abilities. Collaborate with clinical teams on treatment plans. Provide hands-on guidance and education.. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education; 1.5 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree and 6 months of appropriate experience equivalent to GS-09. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.